Author: BONHAMS NEW BOND STREET
Title: The Watney Collection of Chinese Porcelain Decorated in Holland and England, Friday 7 November 2003
Description: Bonhams 1793 Limited, London. 2003, 1st Edition. Hardcover, with dust jacket. Book, English text.; Hardcover (with dust jacket); 22 x 27.5 cm.; 0.6 Kg.; 80 lots with colour illustrations.; Used with minor signs of wear on the exterior and interior. Minor wear signs on the exterior of the dust jacket.; Bonhams New Bond Street, London, auction 10558 held on Friday 7th of November 2004 with 80 lots.; With his keen eye and extraordinary knowledge, Bernard Watney could have formed an incredible collection of Chinese porcelain as he trawled the stalls of Portobello Road. He wasn't interested, though, in the standard Chinese Export wares that were well known and fairly well documented Instead he collected early English porcelain because it was a challenge. There was, however, a specific kind of Chinese porcelain that caught Bernard's eye. Back in the 1960s, European-decorated Asian porcelain simply wasn't appreciated. The pieces that most collectors condemned as 'clobbered', appealed to Bernard who could see beyond the confused decoration. To Bernard they were also an enormous challenge. John Sandon, the Director of Bonhams' European ceramics department, has catalogued the collection. His exhaustive introductory essay tells the fascinating story of some of Europe's earliest china painting. Errol Manners has kindly written a foreword, while Mavis Watney has provided the financial backing to commission this lavish catalogue. Our aim has been the creation of a reference book to match the previous three volumes of the Watney collection. Together, these form a permanent record of this remarkable collection. This sale gives collectors the chance to observe and handle masterpieces of European-decorated Chinese porcelain, alongside colourful pieces that were inexpensive in their day. We feel these have been neglected for far too long, and Bonhams hope that by presenting this collection for sale, we will inspire new collectors and bring a new level of appreciation to this field. Very Good/Dust Jacket Included.

Keywords: bonhams,bernard watney,chinese porcelain decorated in holland and england.auction


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